The Rain
by Divine Sublime
Summary: Something strange brings Harry and Draco together, where they become well on the way to being friends.Will be slashy in future. Joint written by Indefinable.
1. Default Chapter

Authors: Divine Sublime and Indefinable

Rating: PG13, but it may change in the future, who knows? It will become slashy in future.

Summary: Something strange brings Harry and Draco together, where they become well on the way to becoming friends.

This is actually a little bit of fun for me and my darling muse and evil twin, Indefinable. Really it's like a game. I write one chapter, and then she writes one, but we aren't going to tell each other what's coming, and for this reason I can pretty much only give you a summary of the latest chapter. Ok? Got it? No?..well it will become clear as the fic progresses.

We aren't making any money, just some fun to cure our boredom. Everything belongs to the goddess that is J.K Rowling. Don't sure, because we haven't got anything to give.

Chapter 1: Divine Sublime

The Rain

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Harry sat on the ledge of the window in the Gyffindor common room, watching the rain. It was pouring down outside, pounding down from the sky and bouncing off the ground, glinting from the sporadic rays of sunlight struggling to break through the clouds, swaying and tapping like some sort of tribal dance.

He watched it, transfixed. He'd always loved the rain. It was like it went right through him, into his very skin, cleansing him from the inside out. He always felt …lighter after a good rainstorm. The tension that built up the few days before skidded from him with every rhythmical beat.  The energy they brought was electrifying. He could feel it pulsing in his veins. He could always tell when the rain was coming. It was like a shadow on his subconscious. He couldn't ignore the tingling in his skin.  It seemed strange to him that no one else had this skill. He'd often asked Ron and Hermione if they felt it, but they always looked at him as if he was slightly deranged, so he kept it to himself.

As he sat in the common room watching it, he had an overwhelming urge to go outside, into it. It was almost has if it was calling him, the rhythmic beating chanting his name. It was the weekend, so he didn't have any classes to go to, and even though the muggle clothes he was wearing, a black sweater and blue jeans, wouldn't provide much warmth, the urge became to much and he headed out of the portrait hole, and towards the grounds.

He was surprised the halls were as deserted as they were. There was no one around, which was highly unusual for a weekend at Hogwarts. Then he remembered the trip to Hogsmeade, which accounted for the peace and quiet.

He stumbled out of the great oak doors like a deranged man, and the first spatter of droplets on his skin was almost magical. He could feel it going beneath his skin, cleaning out the blackness, purifying him. He walked down the steps, his head turned towards the sky, watching as the clouds emptied themselves. He felt his hair sticking to his forehead, his clothes becoming heavy with water, but he didn't care. He walked around the building, and out onto the grassy grounds that surrounded the castle. As he still had his head turned towards the sky, he didn't notice someone walking towards him until they collided

He stumbled to his feet, muttering his apologies as he did so.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see…..Malfoy?"

It was indeed the blonde haired Slytherin, as soaked as he was himself, also looking up at the sky.

"Potter"

Neither boy moved, they just stood there, facing each other, battling the urge to look back up at the sky.

"What are you doing out in the rain Malfoy?"

"Why do you care?"

That was a good question.

"I don't know"

In a completely uncharacteristic move, Malfoy actually lowered himself to talk to Harry.

"I like the rain, I always have. It's got a power. A freshness. I can't really explain it"

So Malfoy liked the rain too. It seemed strange to Harry that someone like him would feel something as pointless and purely joyful as the strange emotions that overcame him during the rain, but he resigned himself to the fact that anything was possible.

"I know what you mean"

Malfoy looked surprised, his large grey eyes widened.

"You feel it too?"

"Well yeah, I suppose I always have really" he looked at the sky  "I always liked it when I was a little kid. I'd play in it, getting completely muddy and soaked, before Aunt Petunia would have a fit and talk about how abnormal it was."

Why he was telling all this to Malfoy of all people eluded him. Malfoy was well.. _Malfoy_, and here was talking about his disastrous childhood. But to his complete shock, Malfoy talked as well.

"Yeh, I used to do that too, but I used to play at the back of the house so my father wouldn't see me. The house elves cleaned my clothes for me so that he wouldn't find out." The suddenly it seemed to dawn on him what he was saying, and he clamed up.

Before either boy noticed it, they started to walk, just ambling unconsciously in the general direction of the forest. The rain wasn't as heavy now. It was almost as if it had quietened so that they could speak easier, which was pointless, because Malfoy seemed to have decided he'd said too much, and he refused to say anything else. After walking in a strange silence, Harry decided to try and start up a conversation, curious as to what had changed in Malfoy recently.

Many people had commented on it. Malfoy just hadn't been himself recently. It seemed he'd come into his seventh year as a completely different person. He no longer went out of his way to make anyone miserable. He seemed defeated, like he'd given up. No matter how much Ron whispered a little too loudly about him, he would retaliate. He pretty much just went to class, ate his meals and disappeared for the rest of the night. It had been a while since he'd insulted Harry, since they'd fought in a corridor, and now here he was walking comfortably in the rain with him as if…as if they were friends.

"This is strange, isn't it?"

"What?" he replied, in a monotonous tone.

"Well…you and me..walking, being friendly..this"

"Would you rather I attacked you and beat the crap out of you?" he asked, in the same, monotonous voice.

"I suppose not"

They fell back into silence. Harry walked along, stomped his feet in the mud, kicked stones. Malfoy however walked with perfect grace and decorum. He almost looked like a model on a runway. He made sure not to step out of his rhythm, kept his back straight, his head high.  He looked a little strange, but Harry guessed that he also looked like a Malfoy was supposed to, so he didn't comment on it.

"So Malfoy….did you have a nice summer?"

Harry was sure he saw something on Malfoy's face that he'd never seen before. It was like an unbearable sadness, and a pain, and a fear of something. But then he thought he must have imagined it, because in a split second it was gone and the unbreakable mask was back.

"Not particularly" he said, still hiding behind that same monotonous tone.

"What happened?"

For a second he thought that Malfoy wasn't going to answer. He looked angry, and sad, and Harry thought that Malfoy was going to spin around and punch him. He was about to say that he didn't need to know if he was uncomfortable, when Malfoy replied, his dull tome sliding a little.

"My mother died"

Harry felt the wind move out of him. He'd never been more ashamed of himself. He never should have asked, it wasn't his place. And suddenly he felt so much compassion and sympathy for this blonde haired Slytherin that he couldn't put it into words. All he could manage was a half assed whispered…"Sorry"

"I don't need your pity Potter" he sighed, "I'm fine"

Somehow Harry didn't believe him. He knew how he felt about his parents, the gaping hole inside him that ached when he thought about them. And then he thought about the boy beside him, the boy he'd hated since his first day at Hogwarts. The boy who'd always struggled to make his life as miserable as possible, and he imagined him with a hole, just like the one inside himself, and suddenly he couldn't bring himself to hate him anymore. Malfoy was human just like everyone else. He had his own fears, his own personal demons to fight. Malfoy was just like him.

"I know you are. But I'm still sorry…..what happened to her?"

He watched as the same emotions raced across Malfoy's pale features: pain, sorrow, fear, anger, and he mumbled:

"I'll tell you some other time"

Harry took this as the final word and shut up, letting his new information formulate in his brain. This explained everything. Malfoy hadn't been himself because he'd been grieving. Suddenly he looked up and realised that they were back at the school. He looked up at Malfoy, who was slightly behind him, nudged him and said:

"We're back"

He looked up at the school and whispered "Oh". He looked almost disappointed that they had gotten back so quickly. Harry looked at his watch and realised they'd been walking for almost two hours.

"Listen Potter,…thanks for walking with me, and letting me think and …..thanks"

And with that he turned and headed back towards the school, the long black muggle coat he was wearing billowing out behind him.

"Well that was interesting" he mumbled to himself, and he too walked the small distance back to the castle, giving a small wave to the rain as he went.

_So what did you think? Review and let us know…you know you want to!! Much love!!_


	2. Further Meetings

'A/N: So I guess this is my turn! Muchly smooshness to Divine Sublime for the first chapter (and the whole idea really!) so now it's up to me to continue…it's total fiction, everything belongs to J.K Rowling. You can sue us if you like, but all you're likely to get is a battered drum kit and several caged Australian men **(",)**  *the artist formerly known as Indefinable*

Rating-Still PG13 to be safe, but nothing naughty in this chapter..may be slashy in later chapters.

Summary-Harry ponders, and Draco pays a visit to Gryffindor Tower.

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**_Chapter 2-Further Meetings_**

After he returned to the castle, Harry's first instinct was to find his loyal friends Hermione and Ron to inform them of the news, but something inside him impeded him. Was it pity? He didn't think so, but he couldn't be sure. Instead, he silently made his way back to the Gryffindor common room stopping only to mutter "jiggery pokery" in order to be allowed to cross the threshold. Thankfully, the Hogsmeade excursion hadn't yet returned which gave Harry time and space to think.

 The rain had eased off slightly and was now only a delicate drizzle, still pattering against the window but not as rhythmically as before.  Normally after a rainstorm he felt so refreshed, so at ease with his surroundings. It cleansed him. Only today that unmistakable feeling that something was awry still filled him, leaving him with an uncomfortable knot in his stomach. It had shocked him to realise that Drac…Malfoy was just as defenceless as everybody else at Hogwarts. That wasn't the only reason for Harry's discomfort though, there was something there that he just didn't understand. Whereas usually he would rely on Hermione's sage advice and Ron's ironic humour, he was going to have to figure this one out by himself. 

It wasn't that he had an objection to Malfoy's civility because it made a welcome change from his usual hostile and snide remarks. Harry actually liked the idea that they might grow to be friends, even though it was in tragic circumstances.

The death of his mother was something that Harry could empathise with in a way, but of course Harry's memories of his parents were few and far between. His experience with the Dementors had taught him that his mother sacrificed herself in an attempt to save him, and that was all he really needed to know. He started to realise that Draco would have suffered so much more, having his mother snatched away after being together for so many years. But still, surely Harry could empathise with the feelings of abandonment, and he was going to try. A weight was slowly being lifted of the seventh year's shoulders as he slowly worked out his feelings. A sense of pathetic fallacy washed over him as the rain halted, as though it was alerting him to the clearer thoughts in his head. 

So he could be friends with Draco Malfoy, in fact he was going to be. He attempted to ponder why this notion seemed so appealing when he heard commotion in the corridor outside the common room. It seemed a little early for the Hogsmeade trip to be returning, but all the same Harry got ready to retreat to the library. The voice in the corridor was familiar and stopped him in his tracks. 

"I told you, I don't know the password. Just let me in you useless, over glorified piece of paper!" 

It was Malfoy, and he was battling with the fat lady to get in, which meant that he must have been looking for Harry. An involuntary smirk spread across his face causing Harry to chide himself and scuttle over to the portrait hole. 

"Jiggery Pokery" he whispered, allowing Malfoy access to the unusually empty room. The two boys simply surveyed one another fleetingly, before Malfoy flounced towards the inviting fire. 

"Did you want something Malfoy?" 

"I just wanted to tell you that I was in a peculiar mood earlier. Please forgive my outburst, I don't need pity from anybody, especially not you Potter" 

Harry felt a twinge in his chest, the unambiguous feeling of disappointment. Any thoughts of a friendship with Malfoy seemed to be temporarily shattered, but Harry was not one to give up that easily. His sometimes-erratic determination forced him to persevere with the blonde boy in front of him, so he timidly took a seat next to the fire, close enough to talk to Malfoy but far enough away not to be seen as a threat. 

"If you want to talk Malfoy…Draco…you can talk to me. I might be able to help."

This was met only with a grunt of sarcasm, which was customary for Malfoy's superior behaviour. Maybe Harry could talk to him some other time, after all the Hogsmeade excursion would be returning soon, and Harry hated the common room when it was full. 

"Well just remember that Malfoy" he said, with a heavy heart. "Perhaps you'd better go back to Slytherin?" 

The blonde haired Slytherin didn't move. He didn't even look away from the lapping flames that had mesmerised him so wholly. He muttered something that was incomprehensible and Harry moved closer to him. He was shaken by what he saw. Malfoy was…crying. 

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*So there we go, my attempt…please review, I'll love you forever if you do! Flames are welcome b'cos I know my writing sucks…Muchly cherry pie!*


	3. The Tale Unfolds

Okay my friends, Part 3. This part was kindly, and fabulously written by Fries, another dahling friend of the Chipmunk and mine. Hope y'all enjoy!

**_Chapter 3- The Tale Unfolds_**

Harry stood, stunned to the spot, watching the tears roll down Malfoy's face. It seemed strange to Harry that Malfoy could cry so…emotionlessly. He was utterly silent, his body was incredibly still and if it wasn't for the tears shining in the light of the fire, no one would have guessed. 

"_Has he always cried like that?" Harry wondered__, "or was it something he had to learn?"_

He only allowed himself a second to think, and he immediately sprang forward, pulling a clean hanky out of his pocket. (Since the NEWTs were coming ever closer, he and Ron constantly carried hankies, for an increasingly hysterical Hermione). He pressed it into Draco's hand without muttering a word, and returned to his chair, allowing the blonde boy to compose himself. It was obvious that Draco needed help, but he wasn't sure if he could provide it. And mentioning it would no doubt be signing his own death warrant. He waited for the Slytherin to speak. 

"If you ever tell anyone this happened I'll gut you like a fish. Understood?"

With a roll of his eyes and a sigh, Harry replied. "Crystal clear"

With a slump of his shoulders, Draco turned and sunk into the seat next to Harry, the movement seeming entirely drained. His hair limped over his forehead, his face was blotched pink were his tears had cooled, and he wrung the crisp hanky in between his tense fingers. Harry retained his silence, knowing that when the boy was ready to speak, he would.

"I'm sorry about all this you know, the plan wasn't to come down here and start weeping like a little girl. But sometimes, sometimes it just…I just can't take it anymore and it explodes. So, I'm sorry"

"It's all right you know, I don't mind you coming down here". He paused. "Why are you here Draco?"

The boy beside him shrugged slightly. "I came to tell you not to say anything about my mum, I don't want this to be public knowledge. All the Slytherins are being sympathetic already. Maybe I just wanted someone to talk to. Isn't that what noble Gryffindors do?"

"I suppose. Do you want to talk?"

The boy sighed. "I miss my mother."

Harry's heart cringed at the look on Draco's face. He looked entirely lost, and completely alone. He felt this need to reassure him, tell him that everything was fine. That there were others to love him, and he wasn't alone. But how could he? He didn't know anything about Draco. 

"When did she die?"

"End of July. Father didn't want it to be out in the open, so he kept it quiet. The Slytherins all knew though."

"Couldn't you talk to them?"

He laughed. "Are you crazy? Those people aren't my friends. They don't care about anyone but themselves. They probably wouldn't even pretend to listen. No Potter, I'd much rather tell you my problems than _them"_

Harry shrugged. "Fine. So, what happened to her?"

Draco seemed to visibly sink into himself. He pulled himself into a ball, the look of pain and fear and sadness running over his face. Harry got up from his seat and moved next to the blonde Slytherin.  Draco gasped, the two had never been this close before.  He didn't answer, biting his lip, all he could think of was Harry next to him, the sound of his breathing was mesmerising. "Draco…"

He mumbled something Harry couldn't quite hear, and when Harry prodded him, he said louder: 

"It was an accident" he announced suddenly, grey eyes bulging "no-ones fault, just an accident" he shook his head feverishly.

Harry knew there was more to it than that, there had to be something suspicious going on, but he knew better than to tell the quivering boy he was a liar, so he approached with tact. "If it was just an accident, why does your Dad want to cover it up?" 

Draco turned to face him, cold eyes boring into him "You know why I went walking in the rain?" he spoke calmly

"Yeah, you told me it was…"

"I needed to clear my head" he added frantically" " I needed" he gulped for air "I needed to forget" fresh tears shone on his pale face

"Forget about your mother?" asked harry, unbelievingly

"I can't live with the guilt" Draco's head was clasped in his hand; he was rocking backward and forwards.  Harry too was shaking, it was like Draco was possessed, something inside him was making him…a real person.  Harry rested a hand on his should "Shhhh" he soothed.  Draco's slow drawl had vanished; he was a person, a vulnerable person whom Harry had never seen before.  

Draco stood up, knocking Harry's hand away.  He was screaming now, incomprehensible words about guilt rejection and belonging.  Harry followed the Slytherin's every move around the common room.  The two faced each other; Harry stared into Draco's cold grey eyes.  They were full of sadness, full of despair.  Draco looked at something past Harry's face and sobbed, long choking sobs as he slid down the wall. Squatting beside him Harry embraced the boy, at first to make himself feel better, he was terrified, but Draco too calmed, his shaking hands gripping to Harry's robes for whatever stability he could find.  Draco pulled away slowly "You don't know what its like Harry"

"To have lost me mother? Yes I do"

"No….to have killed her." His eyes flashed.  

Harry moved away, his head buzzed. Could Draco me capable of _murder? Maybe he was just confused, perhaps he just thought he did, blamed himself sort of thing…but Harry had no time to think.  A thundering in the corridor indicated the return from the Hogsmeade visit. _

"Quick" he announced, reaching out for Draco's hand he pulled him through the common room up to his dormitory.  Fumbling about for his wand he announced a spell Draco hadn't heard before.  Suddenly a doorway fizzled into view in the wall

"What the…"

"It leads down to the Kitchens…here, take this" he thrust a silvery cloth into Draco's disappearing hand

"But the invisibility cloak. It was your fathers"!"

"Just take it" Harry whispered with urgency "Keep covered and don't make a sound" Harry pushed the boy though the doorway and closed it up just as Ron burst into the room.

"Harry you…oh" 

"What?" Harry panicked

"Thought Neville might have been in here, that's all." he shrugged "heard you talking, must have been practising for the charms test" he nodded towards Harry's wand

"Um…yeah" Harry reeled, it was too much. The past few hours couldn't have existed, it just wouldn't happen in real life.

"I brought you back these" Ron threw Harry a couple of chocolate frogs and a bottle of butter beer, but he dropped them, he had seen Ron's wet hair.

"I'm going for a walk, want to come?"

"What…er…no I'm wet enough thanks" 

Harry smiled inwardly; this was the response he had hoped for.  He walked, composed, out of the dorm and common room, leaving a bemused looking Ron to ponder exactly what Harry was up to. 

Outside the doorway Harry broke into a run.  He could hear the heavy rain pounding outside; it matched his racing heartbeat.  The two intermingled with Harry's breathing and his rapid footstep on the stone floor until it was all that Harry could hear screaming in his ears.  He needed a release, needed to get rid of the pressure on him.  He tore down the steps and out the main entrance.

The effect was instant

It was like the sound had been turned off, like the world that had been pressing on his brain had just opened up around him.  He could feel his mind slowly uncoiling, his head emptying, as the rain dripped down strands of his hair and soaked through his clothes until his skin tingled.  Regaining his breath, Harry slumped against the wall, filling his hands with rainwater and bathing his face. This was it.  This was what he needed to take away everything…but soon his mind turned to Draco.  There was something so different about him, something so desperate, so fragile.  He embodied how Harry had felt a million times before; when there seemed to be no point to his existence.  It made him melt, made his knees go weak.  It was one of the most frightening things ever.  Malfoy was no longer…Malfoy.  Harry shivered. If one thing had always been constant in his life it was his dislike for Malfoy but now…

"Potter" whispered a voice behind him "Potter" 

He turned, the sight was enough to make Harry freeze on the spot, his vision clouded and the muddy ground came rushing up to meet him….


End file.
